Updated November 2, 2026

The Best Ad Servers of 2027

AdButler is the best ad server overall in 2027, followed by Kevel and Broadstreet. We score every platform on seven published criteria so publishers can compare ad servers side by side.

Illustration of a ranking podium with ad server dashboards in the background

Top 5 ad servers for 2027

See all 15 rankings →

AdButler

Best for: Mid-size and enterprise publishers, multi-site media groups, newsletters and retail media networks that want an independent ad server with strong support.

AdButler is an independent, full-featured ad server that lets publishers traffic direct-sold display, native, video and email newsletter campaigns from one platform, without ties to a competing ad exchange. It scores highest overall in our methodology for its combination of neutrality, transparent pricing, a deep API and hands-on support.

Display
Native
Video (VAST)
Email newsletter
In-app
Sponsored listings

9.3/10 Read review

Kevel

Best for: Engineering-led teams building custom ad products or retail media networks.

Kevel (formerly Adzerk) provides API-first ad serving infrastructure that engineering teams use to build custom ad platforms and retail media networks. It is a strong choice for companies with in-house developers, but it expects more technical work than turnkey ad servers.

Native
Display
Sponsored listings
Custom JSON ads

7.9/10 Read review

Broadstreet

Best for: Local and community news publishers selling direct to local businesses.

Broadstreet is an ad server designed for local and B2B publishers, with simple trafficking and creative tools for direct-sold advertisers. It is easy to use, but it is narrower in scope than general-purpose ad servers.

Display
HTML5 templates
Email newsletter
Sponsored content

7.8/10 Read review

Equativ

Best for: Large publishers wanting ad serving and SSP in one platform.

Equativ (formerly Smart AdServer) combines a publisher ad server with a supply-side platform, giving large publishers direct and programmatic tools in one stack. It suits enterprise publishers, particularly in Europe.

Display
Native
Video (VAST)
CTV
In-app

7.4/10 Read review

Epom

Best for: Ad networks and agencies that need a white-label ad server.

Epom provides a white-label ad server that ad networks, agencies and publishers can brand as their own (white-label branding is a paid add-on). It covers display, video and mobile formats, with published pricing from $250 a month.

Display
Video (VAST)
Mobile
Native
Rich media

7.4/10 Read review

Find the best ad server for your use case

Best Google Ad Manager Alternatives

The best Google Ad Manager alternatives for publishers are AdButler, Kevel and Broadstreet.

Best Ad Servers for Newspapers and Local News

For newspapers and local news sites, AdButler and Broadstreet tie for first place: both handle direct-sold local advertising, newsletter ads and multi-site management with small ad ops teams..

Best Ad Servers for Associations and Email Newsletters

Associations and newsletter publishers need an ad server that serves ads reliably inside email, not just on websites.

Best Ad Servers for Multi-Site Media Groups

Media groups running many websites and newsletters need one ad server to manage inventory, advertisers and reporting across every brand.

Best API-First Ad Servers

For developers building custom ad experiences, Kevel ranks first on API depth and documentation, with AdButler a close second.

Best White-Label Ad Servers

White-label ad servers let networks, agencies and publishers offer ad serving or a self-serve ad portal under their own brand.

Abstract network diagram connecting a publisher to multiple independent demand partners

How we rank ad servers

Every platform is scored from 1 to 10 on independence, ease of use, pricing transparency, API depth, format support, support quality and commerce media readiness. Weighted scores produce the overall ranking.

Read our methodology